In the latter half of the 1800s, known as the Gilded Age, the Ute tribe and other Indigenous peoples believed bubbling mineral water near the base of Pikes Peak to be the living breath of the Great Spirit Manitou. With westward expansion, prospectors and pioneers encountered these effervescent waters and endorsed them for holistic healing.
Founded in 1872 by General William J. Palmer and Dr. William Abraham Bell, the town of Manitou Springs was intended as a scenic health resort. As word of Manitou Springs’ medicinal benefits traveled east, folks flocked to this retreat to replenish themselves in its sacred springs.
FROM SPRINGS TO SPECTERS
Nestled within the Front Range, practitioners promoted the topographical climate of pure air and sunshine as a therapeutic environment for the treatment of tuberculosis. As a result, one of the patients became quite famous and is now celebrated with a festival, despite its peculiar origins.
Born on the East Coast in 1863, Emma Crawford was quite musical, performing piano and giving lessons at the impressive young age of twelve. Due to a diagnosis of tuberculosis, she moved westward to Manitou Springs with her mother, hoping the fresh mountain air, 300 days of sunshine and natural springs would alleviate her ailment.
Death ultimately knocked on Crawford’s door, and she sadly passed away in December of 1891. Dubbed “The Lady of Red Mountain,” Crawford loved the view of this summit in Manitou Springs. As a spiritualist, she often spoke of a Native American apparition that beckoned her to the hilltop. She was interned atop Red Mountain after her death. However, her burial site succumbed to weathering, and her coffin cascaded in a landslide in 1929.
Since 1995, Manitou has hosted a morbid match inspired by this local lore: The Emma Crawford Coffin Races & Festival. Annually, this macabre competition is held in late October, near All Hallows’ Eve. Each enrolled team of pallbearers pushes their own makeshift coffin on wheels up Manitou Avenue in a running race, preceded by a phantasmic … uh, fantastic parade.
Since her legendary landslide, Emma Crawford has been respectfully re-interred in Crystal Valley Cemetery, Manitou’s memorial park for the deceased, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. However, some still say they see her spirit appear ascending Red Mountain. But, that’s not where Manitou’s hauntings stop;. The Cave of the Winds, Iron Springs Chateau and Miramont Castle are all famed for phantasms.
GHOSTLY REVELATIONS
Miramont Castle is an 1895 residence originally built for Father Jean Baptiste Francolon, a French-born Catholic priest. Nestled in the historic district of Manitou, Miramont lays claim to hauntings and paranormal phenomena. Many spirits come and go, with most activity reported in the castle’s chapel. One testimonial, from a former hired hand, notes the specter of a woman in a white gown and lace bib descending a staircase, except above her bib was nothing — a beheaded beauty in lace.
Another scene of specters is the Iron Springs Chateau Dinner Theatre, built around one of the eight natural mineral springs that are toured and tasted in Manitou: the Ute Iron Spring.
The cheerful dinner theatre is built over the flowing Ruxton Creek and features old-fashioned melodramas. There’s been a dramatic history of tourism and turnover surrounding Iron Springs Chateau, which includes a five-year tenure under famed entrepreneur and celebrated civil rights activist, Fannie Mae Duncan.
The stage performances are classic and cartoonesque, with three standard characters: The Hero, Heroine and Villain. Often, there’s a fourth figure addition: The Vamp. Shows include audience participation, with warm-ups beforehand so viewers know when to boo the antagonist and cheer the hero. The plays are often written by local writers in the Springs area.
The theatre also hosts a traditional, cult performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show near Halloween. While the Iron Springs Chateau is rumored to be haunted with spirits seeking the spotlight, that doesn’t seem to scare audiences away — in fact, the phantasms seem to attract publicity.
GHASTLY ELEVATIONS
Near the Iron Springs Chateau is the base of a monumental physical challenge: The Manitou Incline. The melodrama dinner theatre provides parking — albeit, paid — for those that want to hike the arduous ascension. The Incline is one of the most popular attractions in Manitou Springs, but it’s a beast. After becoming legal for recreational use in 2013, the popularity of the 2,744-step hiking trail has soared for those who love self-flagellation. It’s literally a breathtaking gain of 2,000 feet in elevation in less than one mile.
Originally built as a steep railway in 1907 to haul construction materials, The Incline serviced a hydroelectric plant and gravity-fed waterline to both Manitou and Colorado Springs. After several years, the track was sold and turned into a tourist attraction, with advertising promoting a 16-minute ride of scenic splendor. After the ride shut down in 1990, the remaining staircase of railroad ties became popular with local hikers and visitors alike. It’s a true challenge, with notable record-breaking runs from visitors nationwide.
Another climb of a different kind is the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which recently went through a complete renovation with Swiss-procured equipment brought in from Switzerland. It re-opened during Colorado Springs’ sesquicentennial anniversary. The cog railway’s base station is in Manitou Springs and climbs Pikes Peak, the highest summit of the southern Front Range. In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates wrote the lyrics of “America the Beautiful” after observing the awe-inspiring view from the summit of America’s Mountain.
SOAK IT ALL IN
Back to what started it all, Sun Water Spa seeks to honor the history of Manitou Springs as a destination for holistic health. With water sourced from 7 Minute Spring, you can soothe away aches, pains and stress by soaking in cedar hot tubs. The spa also offers therapeutic massage, organic skin care sessions for relief and rejuvenation and yoga to foster mental, physical and spiritual wellness.
To summarize Manitou Springs in a thousand words is an impossibility. There’s simply too much to cover in this compact, quaint and quirky town.
No matter what brings you to Manitou Springs, don’t leave without visiting some of the town’s most notable venues. Begin with the vintage Penny Arcade for pinball fans and for those wanting to test their skills at skeeball. Next is The Ten Spot, which is a gift shop where everything is priced $10 or less. The Villa Motel is a lodging locale that offers the option of cozy cottages for those seeking a short-term stay, and the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort is a perfect basecamp for outdoor adventure. The Commonwheel Artists Co-op gallery, celebrates Colorado art in a variety of media. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a topographical tourist attraction educating guests with replicas of Ancestral Puebloan dwellings. The Garden of the Gods Trading Post boasts being both the oldest and largest gift shop in the state and also an entryway into one of the most beautiful displays of rising red rock formations. Spend the day at Cave of the Winds exploring underground caves and dare to ride the Terror-dactyl 150 feet into a canyon.
And of course, who can forget food? Manitou has a plethora of options for your palate, including Crystal Park Cantina, Manitou Brewing Company, the accommodating Adam’s Mountain Cafe and the artistic, idiosyncratic wine bar, Swirl.
Too much to touch.
__________
The Insane Incline
The Manitou Incline is visible from nearly every vantage point in the Colorado Springs area. It’s a 2,744-step trail rising 2,000 vertical feet in 0.9 miles. The ascent attracts local runners, Olympic athletes and military personnel seeking a challenge, with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
MANITOU’S MATT CARPENTER
Born in ‘64, Matt Carpenter is an ultramarathoner of high-altitude marathons. He began running as a form of therapy but frequently visited Colorado, and eventually moved to Colorado Springs before settling in Manitou in ‘98.
His success is so substantial, he’s been described as “one of the greatest mountain runners of all time.” The height of his dominance has been with the Pikes Peak Marathon, the winner on twelve occasions between 1988 and 2011, with six consecutive wins from 2006 – 2011.
Carpenter also co-founded The Incline Club, self-described as a “group of nuts.” Carpenter has held many records ascending the Incline.
FASTEST ASCENT OF THE INCLINE
On September 14, 2022 Remi Bonnet set the record for fastest ascent of the Manitou Incline, making the climb in 17 minutes and 25 seconds.
Allie McLaughlin holds the record for fastest woman, completing the climb in 20 minutes and 7 seconds on July 19, 2010.
